Chapter 7

"Tessa, most of the female breeders of my race don't raise their young. They feel that they have done their duty, and the youngling is passed off to the caretakers to be raised with younglings the same age. However, my mother was unlike all the others and refused to hand me over once I was born. At first, they tried to force her, but she fought them like a madwoman every time they tried to take me out of her arms. Eventually, they saw how well I was excelling. They made an exception in her case, but she was never allowed to bear another while I was still in her care.

"She was my world and is the sole reason I am the male I am today. Mother pushed me as a youngling, scolded me when others would have allowed me to do as I please simply of who my father was."

"Were your parents close?"

"They were not Soulkin, so my father wandered regularly until finally, Mother made him relocate to another dwelling. I was very young at the time, and even though Father was a great scholar, we were never close."

"Oh, so you were a momma's boy!"

"I have no issues with being called such. My mother was a strong warrior, and she instilled a different set of goals and standards that others before me lacked. I won the Commander trials solely from her teachings. Because of the positive influence she had on me, I have been a huge part of my own offspring's life. Every birth is a blessing. She said those words to me over and over.

"It was just another rising. I can still feel her gentle kiss on my cheek that she bestowed upon me before leaving. Without a care in the world. I set out on patrol, and Mother was going to help harvest Grum berries in one of the outer tunnels. They only come ripe once a season and she was out there with several others, helping get them in before they went bad. I was outside securing a panel on one of the dwellings when I got the comm … Mother was one of the first to be taken. In a panic, I practically tore the underground tunnels apart, looking for her and the others. Never had we been invaded from the inside, and I was clueless on how to proceed.

"I can remember screaming out her name when I heard my own coming faintly through an opening that should not have been there. From afar, it appeared to only be a crack in the wall, but upon closer inspection, it was easy to see the newly dug tunnel. I struggled to get my bulk through the opening, but once I was through … the sight before me made me lose all the contents my stomach had been holding.

"They hadn't been missing long, just a couple of risings, but you wouldn't have known that by the conditions of their bodies. I remember running to my mother and grabbing her up into my arms. The strong female who had been my rock in this world was so frail. I didn't know how she was even still breathing. WhenI tried to pick her up, she screamed in agony. I laid her back down immediately. I can still hear that scream, there are times it haunts my dreams to this rising.

"She spent her last few moments telling me how proud of me she was and that she knew I would come. She was reaching a weak hand up to cup my face when she wilted in my arms. Seconds later, it was like her skin was peeling away from her bones. I remember jerking back away, dropping what was left of her as I tried to escape the thousands of Waldrin that had used her as food while they grew inside of her. They burst out of her chest, legs, and mouth. They completely consumed her and there wasn't a single thing I could do about it.

"My men had to forcefully pull me away, it took six of them to get me out of that hole. Of course, we reinforced it afterwards, thinking we stopped them, but that was just the beginning. Every rising we seem to lose someone, the few we don't are a blessing. I know you think I am a monster, but I promise you there are things out there far worse than me."

Atsome point, Tessa stopped fighting me, and now I am not sure who is holding whom. Her small arms are draped now over my much larger ones, holding onto them tightly.

"ZoD, I am so, so sorry, no child should have to witness that. No wonder you have been so singularly focused on a way to defeat them. I still don't agree with the hows or whys, but I think I understand your reasoning somewhat better now."

Shegets quiet, and for a moment I close my eyes, simply enjoying having her in my arms. When her stomach growls, I make myself unwrap from her and lift her up. I keep her in my arms as I walk both of us back over to the table. Sitting her down in the chair, I reach down and pick the tray up she had thrown at me earlier. Then without saying anything else, I start splitting the sustenance up between us. She picks up a piece of fruit, twirling it in her fingers.

"These little purple things are wonderful, what are they?"

"Grum berries, you can have them all, I can't stand the sight of them."

Iwatch her set it back down on her tray. She looks as lost as I feel right now. Retelling that story and reliving the pain has me momentarily wrapped up in the past.

"ZoD, how many others like me have been here?"

"None; you heard Raya. It's not normal for us to bring anyone, or thing, back to the main compound."

"Speaking of Raya, I am going to assume that was the one who was not happy to see me with you. Just how many children do you have, ZoD?"

"I have three females and one male, here on Zodiqua. As far as I know, that is all even though others have tried."

"Ok, that is opening up a whole other can of worms… Ugh sorry, considering our last conversation that was not appropriate at all. DoI need to worry about a Mrs. ZoD showing up anytime soon?"

"I am not mated, nor have I ever brought anyone else to my personal dwelling. This is one of the few places I can escape for a moment here and there."

"So, you just sleep around a lot? Not a finer quality in a male where I come from."

Ican't help but laugh lightly at all her odd sayings. Her knowledge of my world is that of a youngling, and there are times I simply forget she has no idea how things operate.

"I have participated in over twenty lotteries and, as of this time, the only children born to me are the ones conceived by my own species. The researchers have investigated this, there seems to be something in our essence that doesn't mix well with other species. Since that has been determined, I no longer have to actively partake in the lottery."

"Lottery, wow just when I think things can't get weirder that comes out of your mouth. Now, my curiosity is killing me, you can't leave me hanging with that vague answer."

"One of the stipulations of being a Commander is helping reestablish younglings on worlds that are having a hard time conceiving. Our essence is put into a lottery that allows any female to participate in. Once a winner is announced they are put through a series of tests and, if cleared, they are artificially inseminated. I was to be notified the moment any youngling was born, but as of this time that has not occurred. The other Commander, DaR, has well over twenty sons of his own, all by different species."

"Holy shit, I couldn't have made that story up in my wildest dreams. Talk about family reunions being weird, not to mention awkward. And your other half, the old ball and chain, is just supposed to be ok with you having kids all over the place? I have never been good at sharing my toys, so I am not sure how I would feel about my guy having so many options or ties to other females."

"What is a ball and chain?"

"I am really going to have to start paying attention to what I am saying to you. It's another way of saying your wife or girlfriend. I don't know what you call them out here. You know, the one female that you are more drawn to than any others."

"You mean you?"

"I wasn't fishing for compliments, ZoD. You have no ties to me, even if I do smell good to you. I mean, ZoD … What is my role here? What do you plan on doing to me? It is taking every ounce of my willpower simply not to break down into a pile of nerves that I may never be able to pull out of. I am the only one of my kind here and, as far as I know, anywhere. I might not be the brightest star in the sky, but alone is alone, and I have lost everything."

"As long as there is breath within my body you will never be alone again, Tessa. You are the brightest star in my world right now."

"That's sweet and all, but what happens when that light starts to dim? How are your people going to react to the fact that you have kept me alive and not killed me for this magical weapon that might save their loved ones? I am not heartless, but if this had happened on Earth, your sacrifice would have saved others. Well, there would have been no safe place for you."

"If things get worse here, I will send you to DaR. He is the only one I trust to keep you safe. He is also mated to one of your kind, so you are not as alone as you believe."

"A human? Like me?"

"Yes, I don't know the entire story, but once things calm down, I promise I will get in contact with him and see if you can meet the others. Please don't ask more from me at this present time because I can't offer it. I respect him highly, but our sectors are not the same, so overseeing them is handled differently as well. As to the part you play in all of this, I can't see a clear destination, but I can't let you go either."

"Fair enough, it's not like I can catch a ride back home." Her lips tremble after she makes that statement. "Ok, we have gotten off the subject. Who is the mother to the kids you do have?"

"I have no clue. Once a youngling is born, they are normally given over to the caretakers who specialize in the rearing of the young ones. Certain females enjoy the birthing process but want to remain anonymous afterward. Now mated couples are not made to rear their children in the same manner. If they choose to keep their youngling, then they are given help when needed. Either way is acceptable."

"Who in their right mind would want to be knocked up for nine months and act like they are having the time of their life? I have never personally gone through it, but I have had plenty of friends who did and, for the most part, they were pretty miserable."

Ittakes me a moment to sort through her words. "Our females are only pregnant for half an Orbital rotation. Compared to other species, this is considered a short span of time to conceive offspring. I have never heard one of the breeders complain about the actual birthing process."

"I am going to assume that's like half a year in human terms, and you think my words are weird. Well, just because it doesn't make sense to me doesn't make it wrong. But you need to know if I ever have any weirdly marked brats running around, no one but me will raise them. I agree with your mother on that part, but if you don't know the mothers, how do you know that child is yours?"

"All offspring are born with a single crest on the inside of their wrist that marks their origins. All my children have my mark, the same as I had my father's."

"So weird, I can't imagine how indifferent you would have to be to turn your kid over to another, but to each their own, I reckon."

"Mother would have enjoyed your inner spark; you remind me of her in many ways. I know these last risings have been quite a shock to you and I admire the way you have tried to handle them. We have spoken of my world, what of yours? Were you taken from another that you cared for?"

"If that's your way of asking me if I have kids floating around all over the MilkyWay, or if I had a guy, then no. I have dated plenty in my years, but none I wanted to keep for long. I know I am a handful, but I refuse to change who I am to suit the needs of another."

"Do you recall what you were doing before you arrived here?"

"Pieces of it, but it was like I closed my eyes in one place and woke up in another. The last thing I recall is, I was meeting a few of my friends at one of the local pubs for a drink. It was one of those perfect summer evenings where the air smelled fresh, and the stars were bright.

"I decided it was too nice to take my truck, so I rode my bike to the bar. All my friends liked to make fun of my motorcycle, calling me a biker babe, but I really enjoyed the freedom and the way things looked so much clearer on it. Anyway, we had a few drinks, and just as I was pulling out of the parking lot. I decided to take the long way home. One of my favorite spots was watching the river nearby, behind an old flood station. I can remember pulling up and gazing out at the water, slightly feeling sorry for myself because I was getting older and didn't have that one special person to do things like this with.

"Unfortunately, along the riverbanks, there have always been homeless people wandering around. So, I didn't think anything about it when suddenly someone started walking out of the woods. At first, I simply ignored him. UntilI realized he was coming towards me. I remember thinking my eyes were deceiving me because I could have sworn the enormous figure had four arms.

"QuicklyI became uneasy, and the place started smelling weird, like a chemical leak or something. I think I reached over to start my bike, but I don't remember anything else besides waking up in your research center. I am going to take a chance here and ask a question. However, I already have a feeling as to what the answer is going to be. CanI ever go back home? I mean, I didn't have much, but what I did I worked hard for. My parents had been gone for a few years already. I had friends and people I cared about. I know sooner or later someone would have looked for me."

"Tessa, I don't know all the details, but I promise to find out more once things calm down. There is no home for you to go back to. You have been in cryostasis for over a hundred Orbital rotations. The four-armed thing you saw was a Korgon; they were stealing females from your planet and selling them. However, as horrible as that sounds, they may have saved your race by doing this because your planet imploded sometime back. You and the other females are all that's left of your race."

"Did you just say my planet exploded?"

Shehad been pacing around the room while we talked. Her words fade into the background as she collapses onto the floor in front of me. I grab her off the floor before the first sob leaves her throat.

"I am so sorry, Amori, if I could take this pain from you I would." Gathering her close, I rock her back and forth as she curls her small frame up against mine. The steady flow of her sobs tear me to pieces as I hate this helplessness I am feeling. After a while, I feel her body start to relax in my arms and her breathing even out. Exhausted, I gently pick her up, walking cautiously towards my sleeping chamber.

Refusingto release her for a moment, I lay down carefully, pulling the coverings up over us as I go. OnceI have her settled, she squirms a little, but calms right back down. My body is beyond tired, but my mind won't quiet. WhenTessa whimpers in her sleep, I pull her closer without a second thought.

Herlong, pale hair is draped across my chest where she is resting in the crook of my arm. In the dim lighting of my sleeping chamber, it glistens. Gently, rubbing my fingers through its long strands. I watch all the different colors hiding within. She is much like her hair, there are many other aspects of her personality hiding in plain sight. Things that one could easily miss if not looking closely. I catch myself nuzzling the top of her head, enjoying the unique smell that is all Tessa. I have no idea what the next rising will bring, or even if I will get to enjoy her in my arms once she awakens, but I will remember her trust and this moment for eternity.